2010s Expanding Access to Supportive Oncology in the Chicago Region

In the last decade, The Coleman Foundation asked a courageous question to redefine their approach to cancer care: “How can we better support patients during their cancer journey?”

Evidence showed that wellness, navigation and psychosocial programs improved patients’ health outcomes but were rarely reimbursable or accessible to all patients who could benefit from them. After reviewing recommendations from the Institute of Medicine and consulting with Rush and other regional leaders, the Foundation determined that they could make the greatest impact by funding supportive oncology.

To make supportive resources more accessible and consistent, The Coleman Foundation convened and funded the Supportive Oncology Collaborative. This forum for shared learning has fostered the development and pilot testing of tools and protocols for psychosocial distress screening, resource referral and care sequencing. Rush is proud to have actively participated in each cycle of this work, involving adult, pediatric, and adolescent and young adult populations. Built in Chicago, the collaborative has produced training modules and resources that now engage cancer leaders across the nation.

Further incorporating recommendations from the Institute of Medicine, a generous 2012 grant from The Coleman Foundation established The Coleman Palliative Medicine Training Program. Co-directed by Rush physician Sean O’Mahony, MB, BCh, BAO, this cross-institutional collaborative provides affordable, accessible inter-professional training to increase the number of Chicago-area health care professionals with skills and confidence in palliative care. The program also aims to mitigate burnout and turnover in a field where care providers may experience feelings of failure, grief and loss.

The Foundation’s investment also included early and continuing support for frontline care through the Waterford Place Cancer Resource Center at Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora. Waterford Place provides a wide range of free programming and resources, including education, massage, wig fittings and psychosocial support, for anyone affected by a cancer diagnosis.

Opposite page top: Sean O’Mahony, MB, BCh, BAO, director, Section of Palliative Medicine, and co-director of The Coleman Palliative Medicine Training Program.

Opposite page bottom: Angela Johnson, DACM, a practitioner of Chinese medicine and acupuncture in the Supportive Oncology Program, connects with a patient.